Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent federal agency responsible for regulating the interstate transmission of electricity, crude oil, and natural gas. In addition, FERC regulates hydroelectric dams and oversees utility mergers.[1][2]
Overview
History
The Federal Power Commission (FPC), the predecessor to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), was formed in 1920 to coordinate federal hydroelectric projects. The commission began operating under the administration of the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agriculture. All commission employees (with the exception of the FPC Executive Secretary) were borrowed from these departments. In 1928, Congress authorized the FPC to hire its own personnel. In 1930, a five-member, bipartisan commission was formed to govern the FPC.[3]
From 1935 to 1967, the jurisdiction of the FPC broadened due to congressional acts and court cases. These acts and cases included the following:[3]
- The enactment of the Federal Power Act of 1935 and the Natural Gas Act of 1938, which authorized the FPC to regulate the sale and transport of electricity and natural gas
- The U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Wisconsin, which held that the FPC had jurisdiction over facilities producing natural gas sold in interstate commerce
- The U.S. Supreme Court's 1964 decision in City of Colton v. SoCal Edison, which held that the FPC had jurisdiction over intrastate sales of power transmitted across state lines
The FPC was reorganized in 1977 as FERC.[3]
Mission
The commission's mission statement is as follows:[4]
| “ | Assist consumers in obtaining reliable, safe, secure, and economically efficient energy services at a reasonable cost through appropriate regulatory and market means, and collaborative efforts.[5] | ” |
| —Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | ||
Responsibilities
FERC listed the following responsibilities related to its regulatory functions on its website:[1]
| “ |
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” |
| —Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | ||
Commission members
The commission is composed of up to five members appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. Commission members serve five-year terms and no more than three members may belong to the same political party.[6]
For a list of the members of the commission as of June 2025, see the table below.[7]
| FERC members as of June 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | Date joined | Appointed by |
| Mark Christie | Chairman | January 20, 2025 | Donald Trump |
| Judy W. Chang | Commissioner | July 15, 2024 | Joe Biden |
| David Rosner | Commissioner | June 17, 2024 | Joe Biden |
| Lindsay S. See | Commissioner | June 28, 2024 | Joe Biden |
Organization chart
Click here to view the FERC's organizational chart.
Budget and finance
FERC is financed through annual charges and filing fees on regulated industries. Upon collecting fees, FERC deposits the funds in the United States Treasury to offset the funds appropriated by the United States Congress to the agency (resulting in net appropriations of zero). The table below summarizes the commission's collections and appropriations for fiscal years 2021 through 2023.[8]
| FERC appropriations and collections by fiscal year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Appropriation | Collections | Net appropriation |
| 2023 (request) | $508,400,000 | $508,400,000 | $0 |
| 2022 (estimate) | $404,350,000 | $404,350,000 | $0 |
| 2021 (actual) | $404,350,000 | $404,350,000 | $0 |
| Note: The federal fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the next calendar year. Source: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "FY 2023 Congressional Justification" | |||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Energy in the 50 states
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "What FERC Does," accessed February 22, 2024
- ↑ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "An Overview of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Federal Regulation of Public Utilities in the United States," December 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "History of FERC," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "About FERC," accessed February 22, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ RTO Insider, "Clark Bids Farewell to FERC at Open Meeting," September 25, 2016
- ↑ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "Commission Members & Senior Staff," accessed June 11, 2025
- ↑ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, "FY 2023 Congressional Justification," April 4, 2022
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